The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-08-18

battlefield the night after the conflict and
filch from the dead the money which
they received for their meagre pay, steal
ing even bronze medals and robbing from
the children of the heroes other worth
less cmblems of their fathers bravery.
So last night did these human hyenas
plunder the dead from this terrible acci'
dent, taking even the shoes which cover
ell their feet. Who these wretches are IS
not known. Whether they were a band
of pickpockets who accompanied the
train or some robber gang who were
lurking in the vicinity cannot be said.
a HORRIBLE SUSPICION,
however, exists, and there are many who
give it credit, that the accident was a
deliberately planned case of ain-wreck-
ing; that the bridge was SCI on fire by
miscreants who hoped to seize the oppor-
tunity offered; and the fact that the
bridge was so far consumed at the time
the train came along, and added to the
fact that the train was an hour and half
late,.. are pointed out as evidence of n
careful conspiracy.
RoBBING THE DEAD AND DYING.
1t seems hardly possible that man
could be so lost to all ordinary feeling
which animates the basest of the human
race; but still, men who will rob the
dead, men who will steal from the dying
and plumber the wounded, held down by
the broken beams of wrecked car
wounded whose death by fire seemed i'm
minent-can do most anything which is
base, and that is what these fiends in
human form did. They went into the
cars when the fire was burning fercely
underneath, and when the poor wretches
who were pinned there begged them,
"For Gods sake, help us out" stripped
them of their watches and jewelry and
searched their pockets for money. When
the dead bodies were laid in the corn
fields these hyenas turned them over in
search of valuables; and that plunder
was done by an organized gang was
proven by the fact that this morning, out
in the cornfeld, sixteen purses, all
empty, were found in heap. 1t was
ghastly plundering, and had the plum.
derers been caught this afternoon they
would aurely have been lynched.
CHArTswoRTH, August 12.-Stories
and incidents concerning the disaster are
coming to light as the excitement in a
measure dies out. Robberies are becom.
ing known. Miller Patterson, when he
left Wyoming, his home, carried silver
watch and had about $50 in money, after
buying his ticket. Only 50 were found
on his body. A man, apparently tramp'
about so years of age, was caught in the
act of robbing corpse, and was spotted
thereafter by a young man and made a
sneak for Piper City.
For three hours one woman was hang.
ing out of the car window, her body life
less. She was caught by the thighs, and
it took about fifteen minutes to extricate
her. Her legs were horribly mangled,
and the flesh torn completely of.
Is One of the most ghoulish acts ever re.
corded is going the rounds. A man was
getting out of the cars. Near him,
during the journey, was a woman with a
fine gold watch and chain. She was
badly. injured, and cried. with anguish
ooh, God ! Hslp me?" The man turned
apparently to assist her, but, instead,
stopped over, grabbed the watch and
chain and fed.
The rescuing party who we're among
the first to 60 through the wreck saw
watches, chains and pocketbooks scat
tered around. Such of these as they had
time they picked up and restored to their
owners.
In the third coach from the engine
was man with his wife and daug ghter.
When the wreck occurred he lost hand
satchel, but afterward found it, but his
pocketbook containing ss5 was gone.
A new theory has been developed. 1t
is in effect that at the inquest an
attempt will be made to prove that there
was fire at the bridge on the afternoon OF
the accident. Mr.. Dolph, or "Old Man"
Dolph, as he is known here, lives north
east of the wreck. His house is about a
quarter of mile from the wreck, while
his land comes right up to the bridge.
What it will be attempted to prove by
him is that during the afternoon he saw
smoke rising in the direction of the
bridge. Knowing how dry it was and
fearful lest his oat sluhbles and shocks
should be burned, be went to the place
and found fire around the bridge. h.
Dairs, who lives quarter of mile east,
will be called on to corroborate him.
THE LOSS IN MONEY.
CHICAGO, August ia Chicago
Times Forest, ILL.,, special says: The
pecuniary loss arising from the accident
is simply enormous.
Under the laws of Illinois, the relatives
of those killed in the disaster will, if they
have any claim at all, deplete the
treasury of the Toledo, Peoria and Wes-
tern Road OF something like s35O,O00,
and those injured would receive at least
quarter of a million more.
CHICAGO, August IA Times special
from Champagne, ILL.,, says: ]. o. Bar
ker, president of the Illinois Society of